The Plumbline

How little do they see what really is, who frame their hasty judgment upon that which seems.  (Daniel Webster) Gold can be proved to be pure by fire, but gold will ruin. When your faith is proven to be pure, the result will be praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ comes. You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a wonderful and heavenly joy that cannot be explained. Your faith has a goal, and you are reaching that goal—your salvation. (I Peter 1:7-9) Your faith has a goal - one you may not fully understand, but one you will 'grow into' as you spend time with Jesus. We don't see what we will become, but God has ordained (purposed ahead of time) for all that we will do, experience, and become in Christ Jesus. Faith must be proven - probably something you didn't want to hear, right? Without the 'proving' of our faith, it is kind of mushy, wishy-washy, and 'limp'. We need a ...

People who try hard to do good and be faithful will find life, goodness, and honor.  A wise person can defeat a city full of warriors and tear down the defenses they trust in. (Proverbs 21:21-22) Harry S. Truman reminds us, "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." When we live by the standards God lays out for us in scripture, we aren't doing it to 'get credit' for doing good, but we can be assured God takes notice of our obedience. We may not feel the effects of our obedience immediately, but others may see it, finding themselves facing challenges similar to those we are going through, and take heart that they also can make wise choices. While it is undeniably hard to 'do right' or 'good' all of the time, the more we choose to respond to life's challenges in a wise manner, the more it brings honor to God; and when we bring honor to God, it is always a good thing! Tearing down a city's defenses may see...